Odds & Ends: Sheffield, Washburn, Pirates, Irabu

MLB.com's Anthony DiComo says not to assume Gary Sheffield will be traded. Sheff is currently on the disabled list, but may have been attractive to contenders in need of a bat because he can still produce (.286-.388-.481 in 245 PA) and the Tigers are paying pretty much his entire salary.

Bob Klapisch of The Bergen Record mentions in this piece that the Mariners reportedly asked the Yankees for outfielders Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner in exchange for Jarrod Washburn.

Pirates owner Bob Nutting says that finances are not dictating moves, according to Dejan Kovacevic of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "There is no pressure on Neal to shed any payroll dollars, from me or anyone else. Every decision made will be a baseball decision, not a financial one. Any money saved will remain committed to the baseball operations budget to be used as they see fit."